Sous Vide Beef Burgundy Stew

This is a classic French dish made something even more classic by the fact that the dish is so closely associated with Julia Child, who taught so many of us everything we know about French cooking. The dish is elegant and casual, if that is possible — elegant because the flavors meld so beautifully and casual because it is a comforting stew, perfect to serve company or family. Adapting the recipe to be cooked using the Anova Precision Cooker took some doing. I wanted to be sure the wine sauce thickened properly. The finishing step includes straining the stew and reducing the cooking liquid while you skim it (to remove excess fat). This step is key to getting the right consistency, and you can decide for yourself how thick you like your stew. Serve the stew with potatoes, rice, or wide egg noodles to soak up all the resulting delicious sauce. Note: I do not make my own homemade stock, but of all the products on the market, I like to use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base to make my stock. It’s worth it.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 01:00

Recipe Time: 06:00

Temperature : 140F / 60C

Ingredients

• 3 pieces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds sirloin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock (see note)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 7 ounces frozen pearl onions, thawed
• Parsley, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 140ºF (60ºC).
2. In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until it renders its fat and crisps, 5 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
3. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. While butter melts, pat the sirloin cubes very dry with paper towels. When butter is melted, add sirloin, and brown well on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not crowd the skillet, and brown in batches if necessary.
4. Add the carrots and onion to the skillet with beef and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the beef and vegetables in skillet and stir to thoroughly coat beef and vegetables.
5. Add the wine to the beef mixture and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.
6. Add 1 cup beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf to the beef mixture. Stir well to combine. Bring to boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Spoon all beef, vegetables and sauce into a large zipper lock bag and seal using the water immersion technique. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 6 hours.
8. About 30 minutes before the beef is done, prepare the mushrooms and pearl onions: heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and cook, stirring often, until all liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Add remaining ½ cup beef stock to the mushroom mixture and continue cooking, stirring often, until stock has completely evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl and reserve skillet.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Pour the contents of the bag through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Add strained beef mixture to bowl with mushrooms and onions.
2. Pour the cooking liquid into the large skillet and place over medium high heat. Bring the cooking liquid to boil and skim off any foam and fat that rises to the surface. Reduce heat and continue cooking until sauce is thickened.
3. When the desired sauce consistency is reached, add the meat and vegetables to the sauce. Stir to combine, and cook just until heated through. Serve garnished with parsley, if desired.